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Monday, June 18, 2012

"I Release You From Your Human Bonds"

Since Beckett and Davy Jones are plotting the death of piracy, all the pirate Lords agree to meet to discuss the problem. Jack, the pirate lord of the Caribbean, and Barbossa, the Pirate Lord of the Caspian Sea are of course going. But Barbossa has some secret plans that only Sao Feng, Jack, and Elizabeth know about. He intends to release Calypso, the goddess of the sea bound in human form: Tia Dalma. Before sailing to Shipwreck Cove where the meeting will be held, Barbossa has a pretty intense talk with Tia Dalma regarding the secret plan. Barbossa: "I do not renege on a bargain once struck. But we agreed on ends only. The means are mine to decide." Barbossa then tries to creepily touch her face. Tia Dalma quickly grabs his hand. Tia Dalma: "Caution, Barbossa. Do not forget it was by my power you return from the dead. Or what it mean if you fail me."

She turns his hand into the cursed skeleton form it used to be after he stole the Aztec gold. She changes his hand back to normal and begins to stomp away. Barbossa angrily grabs her arm and keeps her from running. Barbossa: "Don't you forget why you had to bring me back. Why I couldn't not leave Jack to his well-deserved fate. It took nine pirate lords to bind you, Calypso. And it'll take no less than nine to set you free. Masters Pintel and Ragetti. Take this fishwife to the brig." Pintel and Ragettie grab each of her arms (this is the first time we actually hear their whole names spoken.) Pintel: "Right this way, Mrs. Fish." Is she Calypso? Is she Tia Dalma? Is she Mrs. Fish? It's so confusing. Jack watches suspiciously from a distance and Barbossa examines his hand to make sure its back to normal. So now Barbossa has to convince the Brethren Court to release Calypso or else she'll turn him back to his cursed self for not sticking to the deal. Calypso agreed to bring him back from the dead to rescue Jack so that Jack and Barbossa can be present at Shipwreck Cove to release her.

And Barbossa does indeed follow through with his promises. With Jack taken on board Beckett's ship and unable to protest, Barbossa takes his piece of eight, as well as his own and the rest of the Brethren Court's. He ties Calypso up on deck of the Pearl and the ceremony begins. Pintel holds the peices of eight in front of her and everyone gathers around. Gibbs: "Be there some manner of rite or incantation?" Barbossa: "Aye. The items brought together, DONE. Items to be burned . . ." Ragettie brings forward the stuff to light it on fire. Barbossa: "and someone must speak the words: 'Calypos, I release you from your human bonds.'" Pintel: "Is that it?" DO NOT QUESTION THE SACRED RITUAL! Barbossa: "'Tis said it must be spoken as if to a lover." The whole crew gets very excited by this. Barbossa holds up this stick with fire at the tip and declares, rather loudly, "Calypso, I release you from your human bonds!" Is that how you usually yell at lovers? He brings the fire towards the pieces or eight. Everyone steps back and intense music plays. But nothing happens. Pretty anti-climatic.

Tia Dalma gives Barbossa a death stare. Pintel: "Is that it?" Well, considering nothing happened, I don't think so. Ragetti: "No, no, no. He didn't say it right. He didn't . . . You have to say it right." Everyone stares awkwardly as Ragettie slowly whispers in Tia Dalma's ear: "Calypso, I release you from your human bonds." This seems to do the trick as the pieces of eight suddenly catch on fire. Everyone jumps back. Tia Dalma inhales the smoke the fire gives off and you can tell that she's about to transform. As she is shaking and inhaling, Will steps forward, despite the fact that he's being restrained. Will: "Tia Dalma. Calypso. When the Brethren Court imprisoned you, who was it that told them how? Who was it that betrayed you?" Tia Dalma: "Name him." Will: "Davy Jones." He practically spits this out. With that she begins to grow bigger and bigger, shaking with rage. Pintel gets super excited. Pintel: "This is it! This is it!"

The ropes can't hold her down and she's now taller than the main mast. Finally, when she stops growing, Barbossa steps forward and kneels down, as does the rest of the crew. Barbossa: "Calypso! I come before you as but a servant, humble and contrite. I have fulfilled me vow and now ask your favor. Spare me-self, me ship, me crew . . . but unleash your fury upon those who dare pretend themselves your masters. . . or mine." Calypso screams at him angrily in a super deep voice but no one can understand what she is saying. She then turns into hundreds and hundreds of crabs which fall all over the boat and into the ocean. How very odd. Now that she's gone, the crew becomes rather disappointed. They were hoping she would use her powers as a goddess to help them defeat Beckett. And as we later find out, she does by creating a very intense storm during the battle. Originally, she planned on destroying the Brethren Court since the First Brethren Court bound her in her human form. But Will finds out that Calypso was Davy Jones' love, but out of anger at her, Davy Jones' helped the Brethren Court bind her. Thanks to Will's reminder, she turns against Jones and helps lead the pirates to victory. HUZZAH!